Sprinkling system



Aug. 31 1926.

J. A. BROOKS SPRINKLING SYSTEM Filed June l2. 1925 `Patented Aug. 31, 1926.

JOHN' A. BROOKS, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

BPRINKLING SYSTEM.

Application tiled J'une 12, 1925. Serial No. 36,576.

This invention relates to sprinkling systems, but more particularly to an automatically controlled spraying device for spraying water n lawns, shrubbery and the like.

Objects of this invention 'are to provide a sprinkling system automatic in operation and which may be operated at any desired predetermined time; to provide means for automatically increasing the pressureof the liquid supplied to the' system concomitantly with the starting thereof; to provide means for automatically stopping the pressure increasing means after a predetermined timed interval; and to provide a sprinkling system having the new and improved features of construction, arrangement and 'operation hereinafter described.

, 'The invention is shown by way of il` lustration in the accompanying drawings, in

lwhicl1,' ,l

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view 'of the sprinkling system; Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the motor controlling switch, operated by the clock mechanlsm; Fig. 3-

is an enlarged view ofthe pistonand cylinder; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of one of the piston heads.

In the illustrated embodiment of the iiivention the conduit 1 may communicate with any suitable source of liquid supply, for example, the usual city water main, and branching from the conduit 1 may be a conduit 2 for supplying a house with water,

a meter 3 being connected to the conduit 1 in the usual manner. Connected to the main supply conduit 1 is a conduit 4 which communicates with a centrifugal force or booster pump 5 for drawing liquid from the main supply conduit 1 through a duct 6. Communicating with the duct 4 is a duct 7 which supplies li uid to the cylinder 8, and connected to t e cylinder 8 is a reduced tubular extension 9 which fits into a casting 10 at the opposite end thereof..v Leading from the castmg 10 isv a series of spraying ducts 11, the ends' of which arev arranged in line and spaced from each otherl as shown. For manually controlling the' flow of liquid through the spraying ductsvll, `valves 50 12 maybe employed, and` for' draining the vliquid from the-casting 10 when the .deviceb is not in use, an outlet or drain ductand comuct 14 lead- 13 is connected to the castin municates with a main drain in to any suitable place. ovable within the cylinder 8 and .ezi-

-sure at the left tension 9 is a valve member having a main lthrough perforations 19 and out from the stem 16 through perforations 20 between the packings 17. The packings 17 are sufciently spaced to bridge openings in the casting 10 leading to a spra ing duct 11, and by moving the actuating ead 15 longitudinally within the cylinder: 8, a liquid successively flows through individual spraying ducts 11.

In .order to move the piston to the right of Figure 1, a relatively small duct 21 leads from the branch duct 7 and communicates with the outer end of the cylinder 8. By passing liquid through the duct 21 the presof the head 15 will be greater than the pressure on the opposite side of the pisto'mbecause on the opposite side of the piston the liquid either flows through the perforations in the stem and passes through one o f the spraying ductsll or creates an equalized pressure on th packings 17, and 1n this latter instance the pressure acting to the right against the packing 18 is sufficient to overcome any counteracting pressure.

For controlling the ow of li' uid through the duct 21 a valve 22 is emp may be automatically` opened and closed by ya clock mechanism 23, which is connected one of the outlet oyed which ably is electrically controlled and constructed .in such a manner that the cable 24 may be automatically moved in opposite directions at certain predetermined timed intervals. It will thus be apparent that when the valve22 isopened, liquid forced through the duct 21 by means of' booster pump 5 passes into the cylinder y8 the centrifugal Y' l and acts v ainst the piston 15 to move the piston to t e right and thereby successively supply liquid to the several spraying ducts 11. y

The clock mechanism 23 holds the valveI 22 open suiliciently for the li uid under pressure to force the piston 15 to t e extreme end of the cylinder 8, whereupon the clock mechanism operates automatically to close .lou

the valve 22. In order to enable the liquid pressure at the right side of the piston to move the piston to the left and overcome the pressure at the left side of the piston 15, an outlet duct having a control valve 26 leads from the duct 21 and communicates with the main drain duct 14, the valve 26 being manually adjustable to control the rate of movement of the piston to the lett in the cylinder 8. It will be apparent that when the valve 22 is closed the pressure on the right-hand side of the piston 15 is greater than the pressure on the opposite side, so that the piston automatically moves to the extreme left-hand end of the cylinder.

Although any suitable mechanism may be provided for operating the force pump 5, in this instance an electric motor 27 is utilized and the motor 27A is started in operation by means of a switch 28 associated with the cable 24 and controlled thereby. As indicated in Fig. 2, the 'switch 28; comprises a supporting plate 29, on which is mounted a plate 30, and connected to Contact terminals 36 on the plate 30 are leads 31 and 32 from the motor 27. Suitably guided on the plate 30 is a wire 33 carrying a contact arm 34 and upward movement of the wire 33 is yieldingly resisted by a coiled spring 35. The opposite ends of the wire 33 are connected to the cable 24, and it will be apparent that when the cable 24 is lifted by the mechanism 23 to open the valve 22, the contact arm 34 is moved into engagement with the contact terminals 36 on the plate 30, ,thereby to close the circuit and start the mot-or. After the piston 15 has been moved to the extreme right end ofthe cylinder 8 thevalve 22 is closed, and in this movement the cable 24 is released or moved downwardly whereby the coiled spring 35 moves the' arm 34 away from the contact piece 36.

In order to insure the continued operation of the motor 27 after the valve 22 has been opened and to maintain the motor running after the contact arm 34 has been moved away from the contact terminals 36 thereby to return the piston 15 to the op- 'posite end of the vcylinder 8, a switch 37 50 i communicates with the motor leads 31 and 32 by leads 38 and 39, respectively and is provided with a substantially V-shaped circuit closing element 40 which is plvotally connected tothe "switch and projects outwardly therefrom. For actuating the circuit closing element 40 a rod 41 is connected to the piston 15 and extends through a guide 42 connected to the outer end of the cylinder 8, an actuating knob 43 being formed on the outer end of the rod 41 for engagement with the element 40.

When the piston 15 is in'its extreme left- -hand position in the cylinder 8, the knob 43' has engaged one of the arms of the circuit' closing 'element 40 and moved this e1@- ment to open the circuit, but after the piston 15 has been moved a slight distance to the right Within the reservoir the knob 43 releases the element 40 and enables this element to assume (by means of any suitable mechanism within the switch box as a spring arrangement) its normal circuit closing position so that the motor continues in operation until the cycle is completed. It will be apparent that thereafter the knob 43 engages the element 40 to move this element to the lett, thereby to yopen the circuit and shut off the motor 27.

Under some ci1cumstances,','it may be desirable to control the operation of the motor 27 by hand, and for this purpose a manually operable switch 44 is connected to the leads 31 and 32 substantially as indicated.

From the above description it will be apparent that the time clock 23 may be set to operate at a certain predetermined time and when this time arrives the valve 22 will automatically be opened. Concomitantly with the opening of the valve 22 the switch 28 is `closed to energize the motor 27 thereby operating the boosterpump 5 to increase the pressure ot the liquid supplied to the cylinder 8. A portion of the liquid from the pipe 7 passes'to the left hand side of the piston 15 through the smaller pipe 21, and the pressure of this liquid is great enough to overcome the pressure of the liquid on the opposite side of the piston thereby moving the piston to the right within the cylinder 8.

As the pist-on 15 moves to the right within the c linder liquid entering the hollow bore of t e stem 19 through perforations 16 passes successively into the conduits 11 through the perforations 20. between the I packings 17. A system of this character is particularly useful for spraying lawns land the like and for this purpose the conduits 11 may lead to spraying heads which are positioned at suitably vspaced intervals in the ground or Wherever desired.

As heretofore pointed out movement of the piston 15 to the right di'sengages the knob 43 carried by the rod 41 from the switch actuating element 40, thus enabling the switch 37 automatically to close the circuit included by the leads 38 .and 39 and thereby energizing the motor. clock mechanism 23 may operate for a Vperiod suticient for the piston 15 4to have* The time i inder 8 and thereupon the clock mechanism.-

operates automatically to close the valve 22, and open the switch 28. Thereafter the motor 27 is maintained in operation b mzeans of the circuitcontrolled by the switc 3 U on closing the valve 22, the pressure on the ett-hand side of the piston 15 is sufciently reduced for the pressure on the rightr hand Side Qi the Pisten to move the piston to the. left Within the cylinder 8. In this movement of the piston, it will be clear that liquid may flow successively through the spraying conduits 1l in reverse order. The movement of the piston l5 to the left within the cylinder 8 continues until the knob 43 engages the switch actuating element 40 'and movesthis element to open the circuit and thereby shut off the pump operating motor and discontinue the operation of the system.

While-I have shown and described an arrangement and construction which is the best known to me at the present time, it is to be understood that numerous changes in details of the arrangement, construction and operation may be eifected Without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as dened in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz'- 1. In a sprinkling system having a plurality of spraying conduits, a cylinder, valve means for successively controlling the passage of liquid from the cylinder to individual conduits, a main duct for supplying a liquid to said cylinder adjacent one end thereof, a duct for supplying liquid to the opposite end of said cylinder for actuating said valve means in one direction, a valve for controlling the flow of liquid through said last mentloned duct, mechanism for operating said valve, and an outlet duct branching from said last mentioned duct, and a valve in said outlet duct for controling the liquid flow therethrough.

2. In a'sprinkling system having a plurality of spraying conduits, a cylinder, valve means for successively controlling the passageof liquid from the cylinder to said conduits, a main duct for supplying liquid to said cylinder adjacent one end thereof, a duct for supplying liquid to the opposite end of said cylinder for actuating said valve means in one direction, a valve 'for controlling the flow of liquid through said last mentioned duct, mechanism for openin and closing said valve in said last mentioned duct for controlling the liquid flow therethrough, a pump for increasing the pressure of the liquid supplied to said ducts, a motor for operating said pump, means controlled by said opening and closing mechanism for starting said motor, and means controlled.

by said valve means for stopping said motor.

3. In a sprinkling system having a plurality of spraying conduits, a cylinder, valve means for successively controlling the passaofe of liquid from the cylinder to indivi ual conduits, a main duct for supplying yliquid to said cylinder adjacent one end thereof, a duct for supplying liquid to the opposite end of said cylinder for actuatmg said valve means in one direction, a valve for controlling the flow of liquid through said last mentioned duct, mechanism for opening and closing said valve at predetermined intervals, an outlet duct branching `from said last mentioned duct, a valve in rality of sprayingconduits, a cylinder, valve means for successively supplying liquid from the cylinder to individual conduits, a main supply conduit for feeding liquid to said cylinder adjacent one end thereof, a duct for supplying liquid to the opposite end of said cylinder for actuating the valve means, automatic means for controlling the liquid How through said duct, a pump for increasing the pressure of liquid supplied to both said conduit and duct, a motor for operating said pump, means for starting said motor in timed relation to said automatic means, and means controlled by said valve means, for stopping said motor after a predetermined time interval.

5. In a sprinkling system, a cylinder, a tubular extension on said cylinder, said eX- tension communicating with a plurality of individual spraying ducts, a piston having a main head movable in said cylinder, a tubular stem, and a smaller said extension, said smaller head having head movable inv spaced packing members and perforations between said members, said'stem having perforations in the region of said main head, means for supplying liquid to said cylinder at the end adjacent said extension, a duct for admitting liquid` to the opposite end of said cylinder to move said main piston toward said extension, said duct communicating with the main source of liquid supply, an outlet duct communicating with said admission duct, and means for controlling the flow of liquid through said admission duct, whereby the piston isl driven to the opposite end vof the cylinder and liquid flowing through the stem successively passes through said spraying-ducts.

In testimony whereof I have hereunt signed my name to this specification.

JOHN A. BROOKS. 

